Convenience store meals are increasing amid high inflation... mobile meal vouchers are also expanding convenience store payments

As restaurant prices continue to rise, more office workers are using the mobile meal vouchers provided by their companies at convenience stores instead of restaurants. In Seoul, the sharp increase in the prices of naengmyeon, samgyetang, and bibimbap has made the cost of a single meal a greater burden. According to Hyundai Vendis, which operates the mobile meal voucher service 'Sikgwon Daejang,' convenience store payment transaction volume from January to May this year rose 51% compared with the same period last year. The share of convenience store payments in total transaction volume has also increased noticeably. Because meals that exceed the company’s subsidy must be paid for by individuals, some office workers are choosing convenience store readytoeat meals over restaurant meals. In response, the convenience store industry is also expanding sales of readytoeat items such as triangular kimbap and lunch boxes, while racing to introduce special summer products to attract demand.